Jordanian army downs drone carrying drugs from Syria

The Jordanian military has foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs from Syria by drone, the army said.

The kingdom has what officials describe as a major drug problem that has caused foreign policy ramifications. Domestic consumption has risen sharply in the past three years, during which Jordan has become a regional transit centre for addictive pills, mainly the amphetamine Captagon.

Photos distributed by the army showed parcels of drugs strapped to small black drone, which the military said it downed after it crossed from Syria on Saturday.

The parcels contained pills packaged as Galica 300, a commercial name for the nerve drug Pregabalin, the photos showed.

"The drone was controlled and downed and a volume of drug substances were found,” an army statement said.

The Jordanian army says it has seized a drone carrying drugs from Syria. Photo: Jordan Armed Forces

Security officials in Jordan and the Gulf say illegal pills worth billions of dollars on the street are manufactured in Syrian regime areas and smuggled by cartels linked to militias in Iran and Jordan.

Most are then smuggled from Jordan to inner Arabia, and some to Israel, they say.

Failure to curb the drug trade marred relations between Amman and Riyadh and was thought to be a driving force behind a policy by Jordan to have accommodated the regime of Bashar Al Assad since 2019.

Russia encouraged the rapprochement, which diplomats in Amman say has cooled since Moscow's assault on Ukraine because of misgivings from the US, Jordan’s main financial and military supporter.

The Jordanian military regularly announces drug busts on the border with Syria in operations that can involve gun battles with smugglers.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)

While you're here

Taylor Heyman: Japan's recovery from 2011 tsunami: before and after - in pictures

Lady Gaga sends message of support on 10th anniversary of triple disaster

Richard Smith: Japan now at a crossroads over energy direction

In numbers

1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:

800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
150 tonnes to landfill
50 tonnes sold as scrap metal

800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal

Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year

25 staff on site

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The biog

Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi

Age: 23

How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them

Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need

Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman

Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs

Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing